Vehicle-thill.



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UNITED l STATES `PATENT OrricE.

HENRY Gr. BROUGH, OF LELND, IOWA.

vEH/lcLE-'Tl-HLL.

SPECIFCATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,994, dated J' une 10, 1902.

Application filed April 29, 1902,` Serial No. 105,184, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G'. BROUGH, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Leland, in the county of Winnebago and State of Iowa, have invented 'a new and useful Ve,-

hicle-Thill, of which the following is a speciiication. j

This invention refers to that class of vehicles wherein the horse travels at one side of the center or in one of the ruts formed by the wheels of the vehicle; and the invention consists in a device whereby the side draft is eliminated and the strains equalized, all as hereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims. p

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the running-gear and thills of a vehicle with the improvement attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line Il of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view whiflletree-bearing detached.-

The device ,is applicable to any buggy or of the single carriage without' any changes being lthe thills being set to one side of the center in the ordinary manner of this class of vehi` cles, wherein provision is made for the horse to travel in the ruts or tracks formed by the left-hand wheels.

At the right side the thills are connected to the coupling 13 `by a coupling-bar 18 and at the left byl a coupling-bar 19,"the former preferably leading from the thill member 15 and the latter from the transverse-bar 17, as

shown. l The whiffletree is represented at 20 and is of the usual form, with the trace-hooks 20LL 20b atzthe ends. Attached centrally to the cross-bar 17 is a sleeve or bearing 22, through which the whiflietree passes, the sleeve being provided with longitudinal slots 22 22h, engaging the central pivot-pin 2Oc of the whiliietree, so that the latter may move horizontally of the vehicle independently of the cross-bar 17 and other parts. The sleeve 22 will be rigidly connected to the cross-bar 17, as by bolts engaging holes 22c or other suitable fastening.

Connected to the whiftletree 2O on each side of the bearing 22 are 'two eyebolts 24 24, and coupled to these eyebolts is a link 24", having a central loop 24C, and coupled to this loop are two rods 23 23a, the rod 23'leading to the coupling 13 and connected flexibly thereto, as bya clip22b, and the rod 23a lead- Ving to the coupling 14 and connected flexibly thereto, as by a clip 23, as shown. lBy this means thewhiifletree is connected flexibly to ythe axle at the center of the whiiiletree and insures the whiffletree from oscillations when the draft is unequal from each of the two rods 23 23a..

By this means also the whiffietree will be connected flexibly to the axle, and thereby whereby all side draft is entirely eliminated -in the orinary vehicle vhaving the thills centrally disposed thereon. By this simple means the objectionable side draft which occurs in the ordinary side-draft thills is entirely elimi-` nated and all danger of any sudden side .movement of the thills against the horse,

caused by the vehicle engaging obstructions, prevented.

In lthe operation'of the vdevice herein illustrated any side movement is eectually resisted by the rods and absorbed by the yieldable exible connections and-is not therefore communicated to the horse "through the thills.

The function of the thills i-n this improved structure is therefore merely to enable the horse to guide the vehicle, whilethe ``draft strains are borne entirely by the whifiletree 20 and rods 23 23 independently of the thills.

The construction is very simple, cheap, and easily applied to any vehicle having the usual thill-couplings 13 and 14 and will not therefore require a specially-constructed vehicle.

The connecting parts may be readily varied to suit any size or style of vehicle and to adapt the device thereto, and the proportions and minor details may be modified and changed Without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. Avehicle-thillconnection comprising the thlls coupled to the axle at one side of the center line of the vehicle, a Whiffletree movably connected to said thills, and draft-rods connecting said Whiflietree to said axle at equidistant points on opposite sides of said center line, substantially as described.

2. A vehicle-thil1 connection comprising the axle having thill-couplings disposed thereon at equidistant points on opposite sides of the center, the thills disposed at one side of the center line of the vehicle, means for connecting said thills flexibly to said thill-couplings, a Whiiiletree movablyconnected to said thiils, and draft-rods flexibly con necting said whiffletree to said thill-couplings, substantially as described.

3. In a vehicle-thill connection, the thills connected to the vehicle at one side of the center, a Whiffletree-bearing connected centrally to said whiiiie-thillis, a Whii'lletree movably connected in said bearing, draft-rods exibly connected to said Whiflietree and engaging said vehicle at equidistant points on opposite sides of its center, substantially as described.

4. In a vehicle-thill connection, the thills connected to the Vehicle at one side of The center, a whifiletree-bearing having longitudinal slots and connected centrally to said thills, a Whiflletree engaging said bearing and having apivot-pin loosely engaging said slots, draft-rods connected flexibly to said Whi'liietree and engaging said vehicle at equidistant points on opposite sides of its center, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY G. BROUGI-I.

lVitnesses:

W. A. CROSBY, E. W. GAsTIN. 

